26 



No. 4. Surface sample on peaty land wbicli bad been cleared and put in culti- 

 vation. Tbe sample sent lias been on tbe surface of tbe ground for one year. 



11 is sterile until lime is added. 



Per cent. 



Organic and volatile matter 96.42 



Nitrogen • 50 



Acid digestion : 



CaO -47 



P.O. -07 



K,0 • 13 



ANGORA GOATS AT COPPER CENTER. 



The following letter from Judge Andrew Holman shows some 

 possibilities regarding Angora goat production in Alaska: 



Dear Sir : Early in August tbis year we received from Monmoutb, Oreg., 20 

 Angora goats — 25 grade ewes and 1 registered buck ; for tbe latter we paid .$2;"). 

 and for tbe ewes we paid $4 apiece. It took nearly a montb to get tbem bere. 

 but tbey stood tbe trip better tban I bad ex|)ected; not one sbowed any signs of 

 exbaustion. But of course tbey ran down in flesb and were pretty tbin wben 

 tbey came bere. 



Tbey commenced to pick up at once, bowever, and now tbey weigb easily 20 

 per cent more tban they did wben tbey came; and tbe beauty of it is that tbey 

 are not at all inclined to be roving and give us absolutely no trouble. Tbey 

 bave been left entirely to tbeir own free will, but tbey keep close to their camp. 

 Only once bave tbey gone over 500 yards from camp, and then they were driven 

 by dogs. 



It was my fear at first that we should have everlasting trouble with dogs, 

 but we found it took only a few days to train tbe dogs living around us to let 

 them alone, and tbe Indians bave instructions to keep their dogs away, with 

 which tbey comply very well. But if tbey do get after tbem, tbey only chase 

 them and the goats run for camp, so we have bad very little trouble in that way. 



Now, as for tbe future prosi)ects for tbeir propagation bere, I will give my 

 opinion just as I have studied it out. I bave come to tbe conclusion that we 

 bave bere in the Copper River Valley an almost ideal place for tbeir propaga- 

 tion, as it seems that the most important thing with them is to b.-ive a dry 

 climate with plenty of young brush, which is just what tbey have here. In tbe 

 first place, most of tbe land in tbe valley runs in benches from the Copper Kiver 

 and its tributaries, and all tbis land, up to quite recently, or until tbe white man 

 commenced to come in, has been covered with more or less heavy tinibor. I'.nt 

 lately a great deal of it has been burnt off, and as soon as a fire runs tbrougb 

 tbe timber a second growth of cottonwood and willow grows ui) just ;is (iiick 

 as it can stand; consequently there are thousands of acres of such land, s(>em- 

 ingly just what the gt)ats want. Of course tbe most important thing is what 

 tbey will do in the winter, but this much I have already learned: It is now 

 along in October, and tbe feed for other kinds of stock is of very little help and 

 has been so for some time, but tbe goats are doing as well now as tbey were dur- 

 ing the summer, and it will not be any different until tbe snow gets deep. It is 

 evident, therefore, that if they are not wholly self-sustaining, tbey are at least 

 much more so than any other kind of stock; and if we have to provide feed 

 for tbem during midwinter, that can be done nmch cheaper tban for other stock. 



Goats are browsers and eat princii)ally hrusb. 1 bad two natives for two 



